Ear to the ground

“We have a Chihuahua in heat and we were going to go to Hotchkiss, but thought we’d try you first.”

– Nearly the best excuse the Durango Telegraph has ever heard for a late classified ad

The big bout

Durango puts on its first championship belt in years this week. Thaddine Swift Eagle, Durango artist and female boxer, took the Women’s Professional Boxing Association Lightweight Title following a quick and dominant bout Jan. 31.

Swift Eagle, formerly of New York City, traveled to Staunton, Va., for the fight against Japan’s Amy Iwasaki. Undefeated as a boxer, Swift Eagle went into the ring aggressively last Saturday, laying body blows into Iwasaki from the opening bell.

“I felt that I had the opening to go for the body with that uppercut,” she told theNews Virginian.

The plan worked, with Swift Eagle knocking Iwasaki to the mat just 55 seconds into the bout. Iwasaki did not respond to the referee’s 10 count, crowning Swift Eagle the new Lightweight Champion and sending the WPBA belt to Durango.

Fifty-five seconds may seem quick, but it was a relative marathon considering Swift Eagle’s record; her last knock-out came in just 13 seconds.

“Fifty-five seconds is long,” she told the Virginia paper.

First title in hand, Swift Eagle has set her sights on another belt. The local woman, who dabbles in martial arts as well as oil painting and photography, considers the Lightweight Title a stepping stone. Her real goal is a world championship title.

Insider information

The ultimate Durango beer has been brewed, bottled and is out, about and available for local consumption. Insider Ale, an apple-infused ale, is the latest product of the Homegrown Festival held in downtown Durango last October.

Local apples were pressed for much of the beer’s substance, and the wizards at Carvers Brewing and the Bootleggers Society, brewed, bottled and kegged the results. Insider Ale is now available in bombers at area liquor stores and on tap at each local brewery – Carvers, Ska, Durango Brewings and Steamworks.

Carvers brewer Erik Maxson described the Insider Ale experience, saying, “It doesn’t have the sharp tartness of a cider. It’s more soft and subtle with a nice, apple aroma. It’s a nice change of pace.” According to Homegrown organizers, the beer represents a way to enjoy the local apple bounty and give back to the community. Proceeds from sales of Insider Ale go back to the Homegrown Festival, which will once again celebrate and share local food and drink this fall.